Falls Township – With an eye on the public safety of Falls Township residents and the local business community, the Falls Township Board of Supervisors is considering an ordinance to set regulations for the production and distribution of medical marijuana.
“The state has made some changes in the legality of medical marijuana,” Falls Township Supervisors Chairman Bob Harvie said. “We want to start putting in place some concrete definitions about where these facilities can be located.”
In doing so, the board, through the proposed ordinance, outlines where medical marijuana operations are not permitted, namely within 1,000 feet of a school, park, daycare center, community center or worship site. Medical marijuana operations would be permitted in Falls Township’s highway commercial; materials processing and manufacturing; and farming and mining districts.
The proposed ordinance, which will be considered for adoption during the board’s meeting on Nov. 7, differentiates between a medical marijuana grower and a medical marijuana dispensary. A grower or processor is an entity registered by the Department of Health under the Medical Marijuana Act to grow and process medical marijuana, while a dispensary is an entity registered by the Department of Health under the Medical Marijuana Act to dispense medical marijuana. The ordinance requires that growing and dispensing operations be conducted in separate facilities.
The Falls Township Supervisors are working to put regulations in place as the state’s Medical Marijuana Program is finalized. The statewide legislation was signed into law in April. Its implementation is expected to take between 18 and 24 months from that date, according to the state. Once complete, medical marijuana will be offered to patients who are under a physician’s care for the treatment of a serious medical condition.
“Our intent with this is to ensure that our residents, particularly our children, are safe,” Harvie said. “The regulations outlined in the ordinance will give us the power to control where facilities could be located – and require proper security protocols be put in place.”
Under the draft ordinance, the medical marijuana grower and dispensary are required to “operate entirely within an indoor, enclosed, and secure facility.” As a condition of operation, the grower and dispensary would need to provide a security plan specifying the type of 24-hour security, as well as tracking, recordkeeping, record retention and surveillance system.
Hours of operation for both growers and dispensers would be limited to 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Exterior sales and sidewalk displays would be forbidden. Drive-through services would not be permitted and the use could not be advertised on radio or TV. Minors would not be permitted inside either a growing or dispensing facility unless accompanied by a caregiver.
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Full Article: Falls Township To Set Guidelines For Medical Marijuana Growers, Dispensers
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